Ochoa to head agency banning chemical weapon use

MANILA, Philippines - Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., who heads the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), will be taking charge of the government agency that will enforce an international arms control agreement that will ban chemical weapons.

President Aquino has signed Executive Order 39 in compliance with the country’s obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an international treaty adopted in 1992 to outlaw the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

“There is a need to fully implement in the country the provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons Convention since our country took part in the negotiations that led to its adoption as well as signed and ratified it,” Ochoa said in a statement.

Paragraph 4, Article 7 of the treaty provides that every party to the CWC shall establish a national authority to coordinate between the Philippines and the Netherlands-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, to which the Philippines is a member.

Prior to the issuance of EO 39, which Aquino signed last April 28, the Department of Foreign Affairs had been functioning as the interim Philippine National Authority (PNA) on CWC and other disarmament issues.

EO 39 shall take effect immediately upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Under the presidential fiat, the ATC shall be referred to as PNA-CWC, which will not only serve as national coordinating body for the OPCW but shall likewise be the lead agency in the implementation of the provisions of the treaty. Ochoa was appointed chairman of the PNA-CWC with the ATC-Program Management Center serving as the secretariat.

To facilitate its work, EO 39 authorized the PNA-CWC to establish sub-committees, if it deems necessary, to render assistance in the implementation of its functions and serve as pool of experts.

The PNA-CWC may also request personnel from other government agencies to assist its secretariat.

EO 39 also directs all government departments, bureaus, offices, agencies or instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions to extend support to the PNA-CWC for the successful implementation of its functions.

The administration earmarked an initial funding of P5 million for the PNA-CWC, which shall be taken from the Contingent Fund of the Office of the President. Subsequent funding for the PNA-CWC and its secretariat shall be included in the budget of the ATC.

The CWC, also known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons Convention, was adopted on Sept. 3, 1992.

The Philippines signed and ratified the Convention on Jan. 13, 1993 and Feb. 21, 1995, respectively. The Philippine Senate issued Resolution No. 49 on August 19, 1996, signifying its concurrence to the ratification of the Convention by the government.